My unlimited plan is coming to an end soon and I'm not renewing it, thus it'll revert back to the basic plan. In Zotero I unchecked the syncing of my attachment files. The files are local, but they seem to still exist in the online library (as they were before stopped the syncing)
Under Preferences/Sync/Settings/File Syncing there is an option to "Sync attachments files in My Library using" either Zotero or WebDAV. I unchecked that option to disable file syncing. When I do, what's supposed to happen?
So, if I add a new entry with an attachment, the latter won't be synced? And thus, it will remain only locally? That's what I think should happen, but apparently not Also, this is what the documentation says about "Alternative Syncing Solutions" (https://www.zotero.org/support/sync): "If you want to use Zotero data syncing but use an external service to sync just your Zotero attachment files, you have a couple options:" Option 2 says this: "Alternatively, you can use a symlink to sync only the storage directory from your Zotero data directory using the external sync service. This will sync your attachment files without touching the main Zotero SQLite database" That's exactly what I did
The database will sync, even if you don't have Zotero Storage. Your attachment files will not sync through Zotero. But the symlinking strategy does allow your Storage folder/attachment files to sync between your computers. The annotations on those attachment files are also syncing through the database.
With that method, however, the attachment files are not going to be available in the Web Library, and the iPad app won't have access to them either. Similarly, images inserted within Notes won't be available in the iPad app or the Web Library, since they count as attachment files. Those are significant limitations, but if your use of Zotero is only limited to multiple Desktop computers, you should have full use of Zotero.
Then, I go back to my original question: Why my usage still shows as though I haven't made the change to the symlinking strategy of my attachment files? The reason I did this is because my unlimited plan is coming to an end soon and I'm not renewing it, thus it'll revert back to the basic plan
Read my first response to you, which answered this. If there's something you don't understand, quote what I said and explain exactly what part of it is confusing you. But we can't keep going around in circles like this.
and in case that's not clear -- Zotero is entirely unaware of the symlinks, so they won't change what Zotero does. Those are for you & your file syncing solution. The relevant change are your file sync settings, which you're already adjusted, so you're all set and don't have to worry about your online storage. You can use purge, as dstillman points out, but you can also not and just let Zotero remove any files >300Mb from the server after your subscription runs out.
Upgrade Storage
Can you explain what you're actually trying to accomplish? You have an unlimited storage plan and gigabytes of synced files.
If you no longer wish to use Zotero Storage, you can use "Purge Storage in My Library" from your storage settings page and disable auto-renew.
When I do, what's supposed to happen?
Also, this is what the documentation says about "Alternative Syncing Solutions" (https://www.zotero.org/support/sync):
"If you want to use Zotero data syncing but use an external service to sync just your Zotero attachment files, you have a couple options:"
Option 2 says this: "Alternatively, you can use a symlink to sync only the storage directory from your Zotero data directory using the external sync service. This will sync your attachment files without touching the main Zotero SQLite database"
That's exactly what I did
With that method, however, the attachment files are not going to be available in the Web Library, and the iPad app won't have access to them either. Similarly, images inserted within Notes won't be available in the iPad app or the Web Library, since they count as attachment files. Those are significant limitations, but if your use of Zotero is only limited to multiple Desktop computers, you should have full use of Zotero.
The reason I did this is because my unlimited plan is coming to an end soon and I'm not renewing it, thus it'll revert back to the basic plan